A video game device calculates a difference vector extending from a predetermined reference position on the screen to an input position. Moreover, the video game device calculates movement parameter data used for moving, with respect to a fixed point in the virtual space uniquely determined based on a position of the controlled object, the point of sight to a position that is determined by a direction in the virtual space based on a direction of the difference vector and a distance in the virtual space based on a magnitude of the difference vector. The point of sight is moved based on the movement parameter data. The video game device produces an image based on a virtual camera, which has been moved according to the movement of the point of sight, and displays the image on the screen of a display device.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use in a system, the system comprising: a screen; an input device capable of specifying screen coordinates; and at least one processor operatively coupled to the screen and the input device, the non-transitory computer-readable medium storage storing instructions for being executed by the at least one processor, the instructions being stored comprising: first instructions to display, on the screen, a display area representing at least a portion of a virtual space; second instructions to determine whether screen coordinates have been specified by the input device; and third instructions configured to perform the following: in a case no screen coordinates have been specified, converting between virtual space coordinates and screen coordinates to set the display area based on a position of an object in the virtual space; in a case where screen coordinates have been specified and satisfy a predetermined condition, set the display area based on the screen coordinates; and in a case where screen coordinates were previously specified but no longer are specified by the input device, converting between virtual space coordinates and screen coordinates to gradually move the display area towards the position of the object in the virtual space.
2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein: in the case where no screen coordinates are specified, the third instructions set the display area to a first position based on the position of the object in the virtual space; in the case where screen coordinates have been specified and satisfy the predetermined condition, the third instructions set the display area to a second position, different from the first position, based on the specified coordinates; and in the case where screen coordinates were previously specified but no longer are specified, the third instructions return the display area from the second position to the first position.
3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein in the case where screen coordinates have been specified and satisfy a predetermined condition, the third instructions set the display area so that the object will not be outside the screen after having been set.
4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 3 , wherein in the case where the screen coordinates have been specified and satisfy the predetermined condition, the third instructions calculate a movement vector for moving the display area, and set an upper limit to a movement amount of the display area.
5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein in the case where the screen coordinates have been specified and satisfy the predetermined condition, the third instructions move the display area gradually to a position in the virtual space corresponding to the specified screen coordinates.
6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein in the in the case where no screen coordinates have been specified, the third instructions set the display area such that the object is located substantially at the center of the display area.
7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein in the case where screen coordinates have been specified and satisfy the predetermined condition, the display area is gradually moved along a movement vector calculated based on the position of an object in the virtual space and the specified screen coordinates.
8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein in the case where screen coordinates have been specified and satisfy the predetermined condition, the display area is gradually moved along a movement vector calculated based on a reference point in the virtual space and the specified screen coordinates.
9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8 , wherein the reference point is a point in the virtual space displayed on the screen when the screen coordinates are specified.
10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8 , wherein the reference point is a point in the virtual space corresponding to the center of the screen when the screen coordinates are specified.
11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8 , wherein the reference point is a point in the virtual space corresponding to the position of the object when the screen coordinates are specified.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined condition is that the specified screen coordinates are different from previously specified screen coordinates.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein in the case where the screen coordinates have been specified and satisfy the predetermined condition, the third instructions move the display area gradually based on the specified screen coordinates.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein in the case no screen coordinates have been specified by the input device, the third instructions set the display area such that the object is located substantially at the center of the display area at least either in the vertical direction or in the transverse direction.
15. An image processing device comprising: a screen; an input device capable of specifying a screen coordinate on the screen; and at least one processor operatively coupled to the input device, and configured to: display, on the screen, a display area representing at least a portion of a virtual space; determine whether a screen coordinate has been specified by the input device; in a case no screen coordinate has been specified, converting between virtual space coordinates and screen coordinates to set the display area based on a position of the object in the virtual space; in a case where a screen coordinate has been specified and satisfies a predetermined condition, set the display area based on the screen coordinate; and in a case where a screen coordinate was previously specified by the input device but no longer is specified by the input device, converting between virtual space coordinates and screen coordinates to gradually move the display area towards the position of the object in the virtual space.
16. An image processing system including at least one processor configured to perform operations comprising: display, on a screen, a display area representing at least a portion of a virtual space; determine whether a screen coordinate on the screen has been specified by an input device; in a case no screen coordinate has been specified, convert between a virtual space coordinate and a screen coordinate to set the display area, based on a position of an object in the virtual space; in a case where a screen coordinate has been specified and satisfies a predetermined condition, set the display area based on the screen coordinate; and in a case where a screen coordinate was previously specified by the input device but no longer is specified by the input device, convert between a virtual space coordinate and a screen coordinate and gradually move the display area towards the position of the object in the virtual space.
17. An image processing method executed by a computer of an image processing device, the image processing device comprising an input device capable of specifying a coordinate on a screen, the image processing method comprising: displaying, on the screen, a display area representing at least a portion of a virtual space; determining whether a screen coordinate has been specified by the input device; in a case no screen coordinate has been specified, converting between a virtual space coordinate and a screen coordinate and setting the display area based on a position of an object in the virtual space; in a case where a screen coordinate has been specified and satisfies a predetermined condition, setting the display area based on the screen coordinate; and in a case where a screen coordinate was previously specified by the input device but no longer is specified by the input device, converting between a virtual space coordinate and a screen coordinate and gradually moving the display area towards the position of the object in the virtual space.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
January 31, 2017
May 19, 2020
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